Forgot your iPhone passcode? Get your iPhone disabled after entering the wrong passcode too many times? There are common problems that lots of iPhone users come across when trying unlocking iPhone. So, if you are in a mess of unlocking iPhone and see no way out, then you can make use of iTunes. By using iTunes, you can restore your iPhone and then remove the screen lock on the device. Here we will walk you through how to unlock iPhone with iTunes, and also introduce several alternative ways to unlock iPhone without iTunes.
To help you quickly compare the available options, here's a simple table that breaks down each unlocking method. Before you try any of these methods, be aware that your iPhone data may be lost.
| Fixes | Find My Feature | iTunes | Success Rate | Operating Steps | Recommendation |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Trusted iTunes | ❌ | ✔️ | High | Simple | ⭐⭐⭐⭐ |
| iTunes with Recovery Mode | ❌ | ✔️ | High | A little complex | ⭐⭐⭐⭐ |
| MagFone iPhone Unlocker | ❌ | ❌ | 100% | Pretty easy | ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ |
| iPhone Erasure | ❌ | ❌ | 100% | A little complex | ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ |
| iCloud | ✔️ | ❌ | Medium | A little complex | ⭐⭐⭐ |
| Find My App | ✔️ | ❌ | Medium | A little complex | ⭐⭐⭐ |
- Part 1. How to Unlock iPhone with iTunes (Demo Video)
- Part 2. How to Unlock iPhone without iTunes
- Part 3. FAQs about Unlocking iPhone with iTunes
- Part 4. Conclusion
Part 1. How to Unlock iPhone with iTunes (Demo Video)
Whether you're dealing with a forgotten passcode or a disabled device, iTunes provides an official Apple-backed method to restore and unlock your iPhone. Below are two common ways to unlock an iPhone with iTunes, depending on whether the device is trusted or not.
Option 1. Unlock iPhone with iTunes in Recovery Mode
Unlocking an iPhone with iTunes in recovery mode can erase the device, giving the access to set it up again. Before you begin the unlocking process, make sure you have the following essentials:
📝What You Need:
A computer with the latest version of iTunes installed
A Lighting to USB cable
Your Apple ID credentials
A stable internet connection
Up to 60 minutes
Step 1. Get iPhone into Recovery Mode：
- iPhone 8 or later: Press and quickly release the Volume up button, then repeat the same action with the Volume down button. Continue to press and hold the Power button until the Connect to computer screen appears.
- iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus: Press and hold the Power button and the Volume down button at the same time. Keep holding them until you see the Connect to computer screen.
- iPhone 6s or earlier: Press and hold the Home button and the Power button at the same time. Keep holding them until the Connect to computer screen appears.
Step 2. Connect iPhone to the computer via a data cable and open iTunes.
Step 3. When a window pops up, choose Restore and iTunes will download the latest iOS firmware and reset your device to factor settings. This process may take a few minutes.
Step 4. Once your iPhone restarts, set it up as new. As resetting erases all the content and data, you can restore from an iTunes backup or iCloud backup if available.
Option 2. Unlock a Trusted iPhone with iTunes
If your iPhone has been synced with iTunes before and is still trusted by your computer, you can use iTunes to back up and restore the device more easily. This is a straightforward way to reset the iPhone and remove the lock screen.
Step 1. Use a data cable to link your iPhone to a computer that you have trusted or synced your data with before.
Step 2. Click the iPhone icon, then click Summary or General from the portal.
Step 3. Click Restore iPhone and click Restore to reset your iPhone to factory settings. Then you can unlock the iPhone and set it up after the restore.
Part 2. How to Unlock iPhone without iTunes
Sometimes, some problems like iPhone not recognized by iTunes or recovery mode fails to load happen due to unknown reasons and errors. This means that iTunes fails to remove the screen lock from the iPhone. In this situation, there are some alternative ways to unlock an iPhone without a passcode if unlocking an iPhone with iTunes is unavailable.
Method 1. Unlock iPhone with MagFone iPhone Unlocker
MagFone iPhone Unlocker is an awesome unlocking tool that lets users remove all types of screen locks, such as 4-digit or 6-digit passcode, Touch ID, and Face ID on the iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch. By using this tool, you can also bypass Screen Time passcode and MDM restrictions on all iOS devices. Additionally, this tool can remove Apple ID and iCloud Activation Lock without password. Here's a step-by-step guide on how to unlock iPhone passcode without iTunes by using MagFone iPhone Unlocker.
MagFone iPhone Unlocker
Unlock various locks on iOS devices, including screen locks, MDM, Apple ID, and Activation Lock without needing a password.
Step 1 Connect iPhone and Choose Unlock iOS Screen
Go to connect your iPhone to your computer through a USB cable then launch MagFone iPhone Unlocker on the computer. After your device is detected by MagFone software, select Unlock iOS Screen on the interface of MagFone software and then click Start.
Step 2 Put iPhone into DFU Mode or Recovery Mode
Now you need to put your device into DFU mode. If you don't know how to put it into DFU mode, you can follow the on-screen instructions. Then click on the Next button to proceed the process of unlocking iPhone.
Step 3 Download and Verify the Firmware Package
After putting your device into DFU mode, you can confirm the device information. If the information is wrong, go to correct it manually. Then click on the Download button to download the firmware package and verify it.
Step 4 Start to Unlock iPhone Without Passcode or iTunes
Once the download is completed, you can click the Unlock button to unzip the firmware package and start unlocking iPhone without passcode. Keep your device connected to the computer until your iPhone is enabled again.
Method 2. Unlock iPhone from Lock Screen
On an iPhone running iOS 15.2 or later, when you enter the wrong passcode on your iPhone Lock Screen, you will see an alert prompting that your iPhone is disabled. If you continue to enter the incorrect passcode, you will see the iPhone Unavailable screen or the Security Lockout screen. Then you can directly erase your iPhone and set it up as a new device.
iOS 15.2 ~ iOS 16:
Step 1. Enter an incorrect passcode in a row to trigger the iPhone Unavailable screen.
Step 2. Tap Erase iPhone at the bottom, then tap Erase iPhone again on the next screen.
Step 3. Enter your Apple ID password to sign out of your Apple ID and wait for your iPhone to be erased.
iOS 17 ~ iOS 26:
Step 1. On your iPhone's Lock Screen, enter incorrect passcode in row until you see the iPhone Unavailable screen.
Step 2. Tap the Forgot Passcode? option in the bottom corner of the screen.
Step 3. On the Security Lockout screen, tap Start iPhone Reset to confirm.
Step 4. To sign out of your Apple ID on your iPhone, enter your Apple ID password.
Step 5. Tap Erase iPhone to permanently erase all of your data and settings.
Step 6. Restart your iPhone and follow the onscreen instructions to set it up again.
Method 3. Unlock iPhone at iCloud Website
When you can remember your Apple ID credentials and have Find My enabled on your iPhone, you can remotely erase your device to the factory default settings. Then you can set up your device again, restore your data and setting from a backup, and set a new passcode for your iPhone's Lock Screen. Make sure that Find My is enabled, then start the following steps.
Step 1. Sign into iCloud.com with your Apple ID and password.
Step 2. Select your disabled iPhone from the device list.
Step 3. In the device information window, click the Erase This Device or Erase button.
Step 4. Click Next, enter a phone number optionally and enter your Apple ID password to confirm the erase.
Method 4. Unlock iPhone Using Find My App
The Find My app is an application preinstalled on all Apple mobile devices like iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch, where you can remotely manage and control all devices associated with your Apple ID. If you have more than one Apple device and use the same Apple ID, you can use the Find My app to erase your disabled iPhone. Then you can access your device again without passcode.
Step 1. Fire up the Find My app on your iPhone and tap Devices at the bottom of the screen.
Step 2. Select your disabled iPhone and scroll down to tap Erase This Device.
Step 3. Tap Continue and enter a phone number if you need.
Step 4. Proceed to tap Erase and enter your Apple ID password, then tap Erase to confirm.
Part 3. FAQs about Unlocking iPhone with iTunes
How to unlock a disabled iPhone with iTunes?
If your iPhone shows the message "iPhone is disabled — connect to iTunes," you'll need to put it into recovery mode first. Then connect the iPhone to a computer and open iTunes. Once iTunes detects the device, a pop-up window will appear. Click Restore to erase the iPhone and remove the disabled screen.
How to reset iPhone with iTunes when disabled?
When your iPhone is disabled, you can use iTunes to reset it in recovery mode. This will erase all the data and content on your device, and then you can set it up as a new device.
How to factory reset iPhone with iTunes?
With iTunes, you have two choices to reset your iPhone. You can factory reset your iPhone using iTunes on a trusted computer, or you can get your iPhone into recovery mode to reset it to the factory settings.
How to restore iPhone from iTunes backup?
If you have made a backup of your iPhone to your computer, you can use iTunes to restore the backup to your iPhone. Once connecting your iPhone to your computer, open iTunes and select your iPhone. Then select Restore Backup and click Restore to restore your iPhone from an iTunes backup.
Part 4. Conclusion
Using iTunes to restore iPhone is one of the ways to unlock a disabled iPhone. It will enable you to set up your iPhone again after restoring. If you are on the lookout for an alternative way to unlock iPhone without iTunes, try using MagFone iPhone Unlocker. It can not only remove screen locks but also get rid of Apple ID, Screen Time passcode, and MDM lock. Have a try, and you'll find out!
Teresa Miller
Editor in chief
